tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27909669638691382862016-12-03T10:21:22.465-08:00the monologuistAnders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.comBlogger509125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-3540975969054056812016-09-18T17:37:00.004-07:002016-09-18T17:37:52.039-07:00This Blog has MovedI just launched a <a href="https://andersbrekhusnilsen.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">new website</a> and will from now on be blogging <a href="https://andersbrekhusnilsen.squarespace.com/blog" target="_blank">over there</a>. I'll leave this site up for a while as I work out kinks, just so that old entries are still available. But all the new stuff will be <a href="https://andersbrekhusnilsen.squarespace.com/blog" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-29093753514208634522016-09-06T19:49:00.000-07:002016-09-06T19:51:15.607-07:00God and the Devil ReprintedSo I finally got the long out-of-print <i>God and the Devil at War in the Garden</i> reprinted. It's available for sale <a href="http://www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com/shop/god-and-the-devil-at-war-in-the-garden" target="_blank">here</a>, at my <a href="http://www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com/" target="_blank">new website</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com/shop/god-and-the-devil-at-war-in-the-garden" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tg04GBbqc40/V898a7V2rII/AAAAAAAAI8c/gTCefnm24XED4_OuQpEv6RBSNXWmVdhUwCLcB/s640/GodandTheDevilCOVER100px.jpg" width="414" /></a></span></div><br />The book is a collection of short pieces that didn't used to have a home. The main story is a piece in the silhouette style of <i>Rage of Poseidon</i>, about the Devil. There's also a large narrative diagram of a vacant lot near my old house in Chicago, and a piece I did in collaboration with the novelist <a href="http://kylebeachy.com/" target="_blank">Kyle Beachy</a>. It's big, 9" x 12 1/4", and done on really nice paper, with a big back flap and everything. Order one for you and two for your friends.<br /><br />Yeah, I have a <a href="http://www.andersbrekhusnilsen.com/" target="_blank">new website</a>. Go check it out it's kind of amazing. Totally up-to-date and visually stunning. I had basically nothing to do with it. My huge, undying thanks and love to JW who made it happen despite my sluggishness. Check out her phenomenal mix[ed] tapes <a href="http://www.jackiewestfall.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, also, btw. <a href="http://www.jackiewestfall.com/mixtapery/2016/5/29/eden-unsquared-90-min" target="_blank">This one</a> is a favorite, and even has some thematic crossover with the book's title and cover. Maybe you should listen and read at the same time.<br /><br /><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-73251484713139517322016-08-07T18:53:00.000-07:002016-08-07T18:53:06.428-07:00--=:[]:=--Newport Folk Festival sketchbook: <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eXvU67exKNw/V6fi_51eD4I/AAAAAAAAI5Q/OTxeiVnAqyUV7ntvQSYfsvhJ3a8HKkcMACLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii14%2528UberDriver%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eXvU67exKNw/V6fi_51eD4I/AAAAAAAAI5Q/OTxeiVnAqyUV7ntvQSYfsvhJ3a8HKkcMACLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii14%2528UberDriver%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GubOXW7HRao/V6fi_8IzGFI/AAAAAAAAI5U/YnZCBk9BNtYjecTx4R5oNT23SXz-Fbk_gCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii15%2528Kristofferson%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GubOXW7HRao/V6fi_8IzGFI/AAAAAAAAI5U/YnZCBk9BNtYjecTx4R5oNT23SXz-Fbk_gCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii15%2528Kristofferson%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mtBw_Je09Cg/V6fi_2etvCI/AAAAAAAAI5M/jLzZVohHzZQSioOjcL_nibiOBGqsAvowwCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii16%2528RileyBaugus%2529%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mtBw_Je09Cg/V6fi_2etvCI/AAAAAAAAI5M/jLzZVohHzZQSioOjcL_nibiOBGqsAvowwCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii16%2528RileyBaugus%2529%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMpdfT1_ROw/V6fjAjCDqZI/AAAAAAAAI5Y/mD0396pS4XcuvAbUy17l09euHrRBgeJLQCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii17%2528LarkinPoe%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMpdfT1_ROw/V6fjAjCDqZI/AAAAAAAAI5Y/mD0396pS4XcuvAbUy17l09euHrRBgeJLQCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii17%2528LarkinPoe%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7d7vumUdHUs/V6fjA6b92fI/AAAAAAAAI5c/dFWikL0y60on5YF61oMA47uL2tEjLIIDACLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii18%2528DeerTickGuy%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7d7vumUdHUs/V6fjA6b92fI/AAAAAAAAI5c/dFWikL0y60on5YF61oMA47uL2tEjLIIDACLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii18%2528DeerTickGuy%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-42492879159691372592016-08-02T15:58:00.004-07:002016-08-02T15:58:58.636-07:00••\\\\::////••<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ugw2Hbid8ws/V6Ek9C0G_LI/AAAAAAAAI4k/K-33Mt39LiA3Q1AFnd6Y3IYNch9Fcq__wCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii01%2528diamondinpool%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ugw2Hbid8ws/V6Ek9C0G_LI/AAAAAAAAI4k/K-33Mt39LiA3Q1AFnd6Y3IYNch9Fcq__wCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii01%2528diamondinpool%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o9GKHysv2AA/V6Ek8qUBh2I/AAAAAAAAI4g/OGwQXOIawMA1Zk3xL1Z3h1RLE4Tt5oY6QCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii05%2528self-loathing%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o9GKHysv2AA/V6Ek8qUBh2I/AAAAAAAAI4g/OGwQXOIawMA1Zk3xL1Z3h1RLE4Tt5oY6QCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii05%2528self-loathing%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_ld8EBbmA0/V6Ek8fx4DRI/AAAAAAAAI4c/PaFt0DxEnlUFJ8ksl58UsmXm9rCEIMfZgCLcB/s1600/RBxxxiiii06%2528sweetprince%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_ld8EBbmA0/V6Ek8fx4DRI/AAAAAAAAI4c/PaFt0DxEnlUFJ8ksl58UsmXm9rCEIMfZgCLcB/s640/RBxxxiiii06%2528sweetprince%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-20311358892492225282016-07-13T09:38:00.000-07:002016-07-13T09:38:31.450-07:00Trying To Put It Into WordsI probably would have written something like this anyway, but Dan Nadel at the Comics Journal asked for remembrances. This went up at their site earlier today.<br /><br /><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Author’s note: The first thing I need to say about Geneviève Castrée – because it mattered to her very much – is how to pronounce her name, or at least how she cajoled me into saying it with my clumsy American-English tongue: it’s zhun-vee-</i><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ehv</i></b><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. Not&nbsp;</i><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">zhon</i></b><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-vee-ehv, and definitely not&nbsp;</i><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jen</i></b><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">na-veev.&nbsp;</i></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geneviève.&nbsp;</i></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Okay, now we can begin.</i></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I became friends with Geneviève Castrée after her husband, Phil, wrote me a letter in 2006. He wrote after the two of them had been stuck in their car waiting in a line to board a ferry shortly after picking up a copy of my book&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, which was just out. Phil said they had read it together, sitting there in their car, and it had affected them very much. So he wanted to write and say thanks. He sent me a record, too and so I wrote back to say thanks, or “you’re welcome” or some other slightly awkward thing, and maybe I sent a minicomic or something as well, in return. Later I got a follow up from Geneviève, and from there we struck up a correspondence. Little packages of books or records or homemade jam would arrive with a small drawing and a letter in her small, lovely, unmistakeable cursive handwriting letting me know a few details of her week, or her work, or her cats. She was a giver of gifts of all kinds</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;It was in her nature.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That correspondence meant a lot to me because I was already aware of her work, and an acknowledgement from her felt profound. I was in awe of Geneviève’s work. I remember her as a sort of mysterious figure on the outskirts of American indy comics. There had been a beautiful little red book in French that got passed around to wide eyes, and then all of a sudden there was</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;Pamplemoussi</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, a screenprint-and-offset 12” square book-and-record that seemed to emerge out of nowhere. And it wasn’t just impressive as an object… it was really&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">good</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. By the nature of alternative comics you usually get to see artists’ early awkward stages, where they are muddling through and figuring themselves out. Geneviève was young enough that even if we had been keeping up with French-Canadian comics, which we weren’t, if we’d blinked we’d have missed her formative years anyway. I followed her work where I could after that though it was never easy to find unless you knew someone. But then she did a full color piece for Drawn &amp; Quarterly’s&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Showcase</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in which she reinterpreted elements of Hergè’s&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tintin in Tibet</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;as a kind of autobiographical love poem. When the mini-history is written of cartoonists interpreting Tintin, that piece will be at the top. It was perfect and strange and heartbreakingly beautiful. She was an uncompromising feminist who nevertheless had an uncomplicated love and enthusiasm for the (weirdly woman-free) work of Hergè. The last time I visited her in Anacortes she found me perusing her collection of Tintin books and proudly told me that as a child she had studied for and entered a competition of knowledge about the Belgian reporter’s adventures. And won.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geneviève was extraordinarily productive. The list of small and large books and records (and books-and-records) she made is much longer than her reputation might imply. Not to mention her paintings and the art shows and music festivals she organized. And the jam she made.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She should have been better known as an artist. She was mostly a self-publisher and willfully flouted the boundaries between her chosen fields. Her books were records and vice versa – in a way that probably would have confused many retailers in both worlds even if they had come across them. But I think it delighted her more to give her books and records away as gifts than to go out of her way to solicit them for review or track down stores to sell them to. Self-publishing was a political choice at least in part, but it seemed to me that it was simply in her nature, as well. As a giver of gifts. Which is not to say a particularly small royalty check was any less painful for her than any of the rest of us.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our paths crossed now and then in person, as well as on paper or in the air. She didn’t go to festivals much in the US, but I was able to invite her to a comics residency in 2013 – PFC4, and we shared a little farmhouse in Angoulême one year. Those late-night walks between the festival to the farmhouse meant a lot to me. Away from the chaos and noise of the tents, ambling through centuries-old streets and past farmers’ fields, under the stars, hashing out our fears and hopes for the future. Both of us were at promising moments in our careers that winter and straddling different kinds of cusps in our personal lives. She’d had a brief, unexpected brush with the idea of having children, and was wrestling now with whether to try to become a mother. About a year later she let me know she was pregnant. Having wrestled with the idea of motherhood, once she made her decision and had a daughter she was as purely delighted as any mother I’ve ever known.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geneviève was an extremely helpful counsellor to me about my own work, something rare and precious in comics. Around the time she was finishing the autobiography of her complicated childhood,</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Susceptible</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, I was re-working and collecting my own memoir-ish&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The End</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. Our conversations about the complex interplay of one’s life and one’s work helped shape my own book in very concrete ways and continues to inform how I think about autobiographical storytelling.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What else? How do you sum up a person and friendship that has shaped you? She and Phil put on the best music festival I’ve ever been to,&nbsp;</span><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Unknown</i><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. I aspire to make drawings half as exquisite, beautiful and strange as Geneviève’s. I want my house to be half as fun to explore. She was thoughtful, kind and direct in conversation, she was opinionated and loyal. When my French publisher decided to keep my book’s English title on its French edition she spent an hour breaking down for me the cultural complexities of the decision. As a Québécoise she didn’t like it, and wanted me to understand why it mattered.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So Geneviève was all these things. And she should have had fifty more years to play out her own particular genius on this planet – as a musician, storyteller, mother, wife, and friend.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our story took us full circle. The book of mine she and Phil had read together all those years ago was the story of my partner at the time, Cheryl, and her own battle with cancer and death at a ridiculously early age. That’s how our friendship started. A little over a year ago, shortly after her own diagnosis Geneviève gave me a call. Perhaps in part she wanted to talk to me as a friend, but she also wanted to hear from me as someone who might actually understand what she was facing. I welcomed her questions and was eager to help in whatever way I could in the face of something so monumentally terrifying and unfair. And so I did. But there was a dark subtext to that conversation that we both sensed, I think. Cheryl had died. Geneviève wasn’t planning on going that way. She was determined to fight, however impossible the odds, to move toward health in any way she could figure. After that first conversation I avoided openly comparing her situation to Cheryl’s. She asked different questions. I hoped she would recover, too. I desperately wanted the parallel to end at diagnosis and treatment.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last week, she got in touch and asked about Cheryl again. There was no avoiding that darkness anymore. Geneviève’s doctors had run out of options. She’d entered hospice. And she wanted to know what I thought. What choices had Cheryl and I made? What would I do differently? She was trying to figure out how she should die.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Earlier that same week, though, she sent me another kind of message: images of a whole mess of exquisite small drawings spilled out in her studio. One, still in progress, was a jewel-like rendition of a mother and daughter scribbling together on paper with markers, radiantly smiling in red stripes. The darkness was there, terrifying, inevitable. And Geneviève was making beautiful, inspiring drawings until the end.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2spavS35gBY/V4ZtEOahZ5I/AAAAAAAAI2Y/QC4J0DsXgvIouoPv_Y8LYGZuvH7q7SxCACLcB/s1600/IMG_5773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2spavS35gBY/V4ZtEOahZ5I/AAAAAAAAI2Y/QC4J0DsXgvIouoPv_Y8LYGZuvH7q7SxCACLcB/s640/IMG_5773.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-57284838773893021042016-07-11T09:58:00.002-07:002016-07-11T10:00:25.241-07:00Searching for Genevieve<i>Just put the search term "Genevieve" into the box on my blog. This is one of the things that came up, from 2011. Her house felt magical.</i><br /><br /><i>From 2011:</i><br /><br />Here are some pictures from <a href="http://www.genevievecastree.com/">Genevieve Castree</a> and <a href="http://www.pwelverumandsun.com/">Phil Elverum</a>'s house and church/studio in Anacortes, Washington. I stayed there on my way from Seattle to Vancouver, and it was awesome. Genevieve gave me a little jar of the most delicious tart cherry jam she'd made, gave me a tour of town, and told me the craziest story about Phil's great grandmother adopting a chimpanzee. Anacortes is great. I liked it there. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AI36lgeCW3w/TkG7f3vUMvI/AAAAAAAACUI/aZUsu10mB2Y/s1600/P1050446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AI36lgeCW3w/TkG7f3vUMvI/AAAAAAAACUI/aZUsu10mB2Y/s1600/P1050446.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4LQ0foshPdQ/TkG7hvV62yI/AAAAAAAACUM/JWFJsg3kiQQ/s1600/P1050427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4LQ0foshPdQ/TkG7hvV62yI/AAAAAAAACUM/JWFJsg3kiQQ/s1600/P1050427.JPG" /></a></div>Collage of photographs of clouds and trees.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0V7O5G19R8/TkG7jKFyfBI/AAAAAAAACUQ/vfBLOoFOOMY/s1600/P1050429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0V7O5G19R8/TkG7jKFyfBI/AAAAAAAACUQ/vfBLOoFOOMY/s1600/P1050429.JPG" /></a></div>Spider Webs for Halloween, by Genevieve.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6CPqU_nJOU/TkG7lgkQeaI/AAAAAAAACUU/shaGVFAi-co/s1600/P1050430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6CPqU_nJOU/TkG7lgkQeaI/AAAAAAAACUU/shaGVFAi-co/s1600/P1050430.JPG" /></a></div>A small sample of Genevieve's studio. The one original page she had out (she's working on a book for D&amp;Q) was kind of mind bogglingly beautiful. Nobody has such a thin, delicate yet confident line. And she pencils in orange. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwbC3W3JwBg/TkG7n_5SjkI/AAAAAAAACUY/z2590mAx5CA/s1600/P1050431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwbC3W3JwBg/TkG7n_5SjkI/AAAAAAAACUY/z2590mAx5CA/s1600/P1050431.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqzWVFZBL9U/TkG7rNkmv6I/AAAAAAAACUc/vqZhYpoa7rY/s1600/P1050433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqzWVFZBL9U/TkG7rNkmv6I/AAAAAAAACUc/vqZhYpoa7rY/s1600/P1050433.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSzkyxECV2c/TkG7tAo3VpI/AAAAAAAACUg/9rJNFqf3R-Y/s1600/P1050434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSzkyxECV2c/TkG7tAo3VpI/AAAAAAAACUg/9rJNFqf3R-Y/s1600/P1050434.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fGxjqy_Ax-I/TkG7uYVZGfI/AAAAAAAACUk/3BGJd8qVXeY/s1600/P1050437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fGxjqy_Ax-I/TkG7uYVZGfI/AAAAAAAACUk/3BGJd8qVXeY/s1600/P1050437.JPG" /></a></div>The house reminded me a little of people's deceptively small, but liveable houses in New Hampshire, where my Dad lives. It might have partly been the residual smell of wood smoke.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n5w-uB2VHtk/TkG7v0oMMQI/AAAAAAAACUo/79dPmvstikQ/s1600/P1050438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n5w-uB2VHtk/TkG7v0oMMQI/AAAAAAAACUo/79dPmvstikQ/s1600/P1050438.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEQXBZD7XwY/TkG70RdyjHI/AAAAAAAACUw/6kncoS24aKg/s1600/P1050440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEQXBZD7XwY/TkG70RdyjHI/AAAAAAAACUw/6kncoS24aKg/s1600/P1050440.JPG" /></a></div>Their flat files are nicer than mine. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVSpbPZ1Zv8/TkG72twB6YI/AAAAAAAACU0/4nF8ru57rQE/s1600/P1050441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVSpbPZ1Zv8/TkG72twB6YI/AAAAAAAACU0/4nF8ru57rQE/s1600/P1050441.JPG" /></a></div>Globes<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxhEUoThPbk/TkG74IwpdXI/AAAAAAAACU4/sHprtJrs9HE/s1600/P1050445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxhEUoThPbk/TkG74IwpdXI/AAAAAAAACU4/sHprtJrs9HE/s1600/P1050445.JPG" /></a></div>Readying for a show the next day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wdOxbvXFGq4/TkG7_TXy8hI/AAAAAAAACU8/-zEsLQfcA1s/s1600/P1050454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wdOxbvXFGq4/TkG7_TXy8hI/AAAAAAAACU8/-zEsLQfcA1s/s1600/P1050454.JPG" /></a></div>Some Croatian Neighbors had commissioned this painting of a seaside Village in Croatia, and then didn't like it. So they gave it to Genevieve and Phil. They have so far resisted the urge to paint a sea monster attacking the town.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IkDdaFPzZfU/TkG8BqS1ObI/AAAAAAAACVA/a-RRnhIAKKc/s1600/P1050458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IkDdaFPzZfU/TkG8BqS1ObI/AAAAAAAACVA/a-RRnhIAKKc/s1600/P1050458.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My studio is smaller than this.</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCsd09ZcxC8/TkG8DjyHs5I/AAAAAAAACVE/9oyy1qa9Tqc/s1600/P1050461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCsd09ZcxC8/TkG8DjyHs5I/AAAAAAAACVE/9oyy1qa9Tqc/s1600/P1050461.JPG" /></a><br /><span id="goog_526067174"></span><span id="goog_526067175"></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-48589147708602373172016-07-10T19:08:00.002-07:002016-07-10T19:08:41.830-07:00Genevieve <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOnsyc0_GpQ/V4L-b0kGHvI/AAAAAAAAI1k/MyD2Mhb5Abg6kflQIn_dHoMojAuidAzPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOnsyc0_GpQ/V4L-b0kGHvI/AAAAAAAAI1k/MyD2Mhb5Abg6kflQIn_dHoMojAuidAzPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5773.jpg" /></a></div>I really really don't want to have to gather my thoughts about this. My friend is gone.<br /><br />Over the last year she would deflect the question she kept getting about whether she was "still working". Her answer was, basically, "no" She was too tired, too spent, too preoccupied with trying to live. But I was able to visit her at home twice in the year that she was sick and both times there were many bits and pieces of half-finished and carefully crafted things everywhere you looked. She was still working. She couldn't have stopped if she'd tried, I don't think. But she changed her tune (at least to me) a month or two ago, determined to bring art back into her life (I didn't mention that it seemed to me like it never left). Last week as I was packing up my life to move to Portland, I got a text from her with this image, along with one of her desk, strewn with others like it. She was working until the end. She was one of the most impressive people I've ever known. I can't believe she's gone.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9xappVTnucg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xappVTnucg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-75079864683798899852016-06-22T17:28:00.001-07:002016-06-22T17:35:29.325-07:00Tree Island with Unicorn and Pop-CupI just did a new board collab with <a href="http://www.upriseskateboards.com/product_detail.cfm?CatID=30&amp;PID=13396">Uprise</a>, my old shop in Chicago. Stoked to work with those guys on this. They even let me mess with their logo on the back. You can order one at <a href="http://www.upriseskateboards.com/product_detail.cfm?CatID=30&amp;PID=13396">their site</a>, then go learn <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSX6A-jXmvU">slappies</a> on the curb outside your house.<br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMW2za-OUPg/V2sl7gr-3RI/AAAAAAAAIyU/3IrH9-Q2ye04Wxr_Gs6p-bzwpIRUfVmewCLcB/s1600/IMG_5661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMW2za-OUPg/V2sl7gr-3RI/AAAAAAAAIyU/3IrH9-Q2ye04Wxr_Gs6p-bzwpIRUfVmewCLcB/s640/IMG_5661.jpg" width="580" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qDEyQg0xEg/V2ssVXdBn5I/AAAAAAAAIy4/c1BZhWZKT04HyTT2Cfej-gddJtmmqttdQCLcB/s1600/UpriseBoardBlueandWhiteboth580px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qDEyQg0xEg/V2ssVXdBn5I/AAAAAAAAIy4/c1BZhWZKT04HyTT2Cfej-gddJtmmqttdQCLcB/s1600/UpriseBoardBlueandWhiteboth580px.jpg" /></a></div>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-15127911023565048742016-05-28T11:03:00.000-07:002016-05-28T11:24:01.237-07:00A Walk in Eden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'll post more about this when the book is released next Fall, but I spent the last several months working on a coloring book titled&nbsp;<i>A Walk in Eden</i>, finally turning in the final files last week.&nbsp;It was originally commissioned by Ginkgo Press in Beijing and will be released in North America by Drawn &amp; Quarterly. It loosely follows some of the other Garden of Eden drawings I've done in the last few years and shares a (secret sub)title with that of <a href="http://themonologuist.blogspot.com/2012/06/adam-and-eve-sneaking-back-into-garden.html">another large drawing</a> I did in 2012... so yes, there is a very loose narrative to it. Most of the actual drawings comprise ten-to-fifteen page continuous panoramas. A gatefold in the middle showcases a few of these, but the rest of the book is, of course, necessarily made up of two-page spreads. A few of the original landscape drawings, in all their white-ink/cut-and-paste-y glory, are on view&nbsp;now as part of a special two-person show called <i><a href="http://lulaswalls.blogspot.com/2016/05/since-2002-marianne-fairbanks-and.html">Side Projects</a></i>&nbsp;at&nbsp;Lula in Chicago through late Summer. I may try and make an accordion-book version of the best of these in the Fall if I can manage it. But for now, here are some snippets I captured for instagram (mostly) while I was working:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIwffma2zow/V0nUgwD2rAI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/dvhmu9X4noAd0bIa3zPXlv7Oeafo5OuEQCLcB/s1600/eden28-29-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIwffma2zow/V0nUgwD2rAI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/dvhmu9X4noAd0bIa3zPXlv7Oeafo5OuEQCLcB/s640/eden28-29-30.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGDOP-Crfgg/V0nTaxhCFoI/AAAAAAAAIvc/lmgl8tbuDII7z4YOhyr-C5l-1j6r8afZQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGDOP-Crfgg/V0nTaxhCFoI/AAAAAAAAIvc/lmgl8tbuDII7z4YOhyr-C5l-1j6r8afZQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5263.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGpMxfPrDCg/V0nTa58pBCI/AAAAAAAAIvg/i14IxfPc0_staMUChQzo5W75pXxaCcU_wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGpMxfPrDCg/V0nTa58pBCI/AAAAAAAAIvg/i14IxfPc0_staMUChQzo5W75pXxaCcU_wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5260.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm42Xbbb54k/V0nTbgsxP_I/AAAAAAAAIvo/88n0dTJx6bA5R_UvajspTA1xnfWyRW87wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm42Xbbb54k/V0nTbgsxP_I/AAAAAAAAIvo/88n0dTJx6bA5R_UvajspTA1xnfWyRW87wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5325.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_UZFeiP44_M/V0nTcZUQJdI/AAAAAAAAIvw/y9l29pyld_0ZyA02JtmElanzXbfCcXATgCKgB/s1600/IMG_5328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_UZFeiP44_M/V0nTcZUQJdI/AAAAAAAAIvw/y9l29pyld_0ZyA02JtmElanzXbfCcXATgCKgB/s1600/IMG_5328.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFC4Bp-wSAQ/V0nTcbPHRLI/AAAAAAAAIvs/QMrooZXZxEoODXghXthJTi71LuGAA9_0ACKgB/s1600/IMG_5412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFC4Bp-wSAQ/V0nTcbPHRLI/AAAAAAAAIvs/QMrooZXZxEoODXghXthJTi71LuGAA9_0ACKgB/s1600/IMG_5412.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjofvrDnKcs/V0nTdF_fHcI/AAAAAAAAIv4/PRLnChPGK0gZEauXiOaTVg0L6skWuQhzwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjofvrDnKcs/V0nTdF_fHcI/AAAAAAAAIv4/PRLnChPGK0gZEauXiOaTVg0L6skWuQhzwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5476.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uonTyVrVJLo/V0nTdaO_OLI/AAAAAAAAIv8/0w5-Blbz9v0NusgLoxJb06aDUK4dGm0fwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uonTyVrVJLo/V0nTdaO_OLI/AAAAAAAAIv8/0w5-Blbz9v0NusgLoxJb06aDUK4dGm0fwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5479.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CoAK_XwKTcU/V0nTdnsI4LI/AAAAAAAAIwA/Kwo-tHahY0kW9HEVTy7hJBXUtdEPaF3_wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CoAK_XwKTcU/V0nTdnsI4LI/AAAAAAAAIwA/Kwo-tHahY0kW9HEVTy7hJBXUtdEPaF3_wCKgB/s1600/IMG_5488.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x9DT1XX4SvE/V0nTd1xEP_I/AAAAAAAAIwE/8BCzM2_nS08pC0WPHn5VbCxIgXTeez3ggCKgB/s1600/IMG_5489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x9DT1XX4SvE/V0nTd1xEP_I/AAAAAAAAIwE/8BCzM2_nS08pC0WPHn5VbCxIgXTeez3ggCKgB/s1600/IMG_5489.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2yfD_Jj_MU4/V0nTa2TiJ5I/AAAAAAAAIvk/Ev1PSPnpmeEE1G85OmcKUCLftqU40EmkwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2yfD_Jj_MU4/V0nTa2TiJ5I/AAAAAAAAIvk/Ev1PSPnpmeEE1G85OmcKUCLftqU40EmkwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5254.jpg" /></a></div>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-10880639755246419872016-05-06T10:48:00.001-07:002016-05-06T10:48:29.419-07:00Some Golden Books and the Rainbow Book of NatureCame across some really lovely illustration last month in various travels. I think I'm old enough that classic Golden Books still felt like normal, semi-current kids books when I was a child. Last month I came upon a friend's forgotten collection and found that they feel, now, like they are from a different age. Which is funny because you can see clearly that some of them probably felt very advanced when they were made – there are clear modernist touches in some of these with the emphasis on flat shapes and idiosyncratic self-conscious stylization. Others are more traditional and classic, of course. The bears and the rabbit(s) are early Richard Scarry, from when he was still lingering longer over his drawings.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nP9ELuxYjQ4/VyzIoSMtiAI/AAAAAAAAItc/2n0SqH83z1M1cCJ4IJ2FgQ9MO1JNTN-uQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nP9ELuxYjQ4/VyzIoSMtiAI/AAAAAAAAItc/2n0SqH83z1M1cCJ4IJ2FgQ9MO1JNTN-uQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5289.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzR6Se0rzk8/VyzIo55-1ZI/AAAAAAAAItc/9fthZl3PFHU681q2_en2FdJnn3e9039qACKgB/s1600/IMG_5290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzR6Se0rzk8/VyzIo55-1ZI/AAAAAAAAItc/9fthZl3PFHU681q2_en2FdJnn3e9039qACKgB/s1600/IMG_5290.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h3E_J5LMFI/VyzInhSbiII/AAAAAAAAItc/wYcpwtX0NE8hPkYu1Oe10iR_8IRpkSs8QCKgB/s1600/IMG_5283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h3E_J5LMFI/VyzInhSbiII/AAAAAAAAItc/wYcpwtX0NE8hPkYu1Oe10iR_8IRpkSs8QCKgB/s1600/IMG_5283.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpHW18N-3-U/VyzIn6RqCpI/AAAAAAAAItc/-Shb8EXJvzAsTzPVoYbz9W1DCV37cJYpQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpHW18N-3-U/VyzIn6RqCpI/AAAAAAAAItc/-Shb8EXJvzAsTzPVoYbz9W1DCV37cJYpQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBeui7BVUc0/VyzIoXhMCzI/AAAAAAAAItc/DjzC0jjrCwoD6FF0jbn38zN-3c8XrubUwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBeui7BVUc0/VyzIoXhMCzI/AAAAAAAAItc/DjzC0jjrCwoD6FF0jbn38zN-3c8XrubUwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5286.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2z2Vuxgu9A/VyzIobeC-gI/AAAAAAAAItc/luvAJKsy4Mcu-5XyEIlgUX0Xt22g8CkagCKgB/s1600/IMG_5287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2z2Vuxgu9A/VyzIobeC-gI/AAAAAAAAItc/luvAJKsy4Mcu-5XyEIlgUX0Xt22g8CkagCKgB/s1600/IMG_5287.jpg" /></a></div>Can't get enough of Little Red Riding Hood's amazing competing check patterns, here.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKJgeC7UDcI/VyzIpxQji0I/AAAAAAAAItc/RlOF7WSuQQsy1JsTtxDLX_GJJzy1YiaBwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKJgeC7UDcI/VyzIpxQji0I/AAAAAAAAItc/RlOF7WSuQQsy1JsTtxDLX_GJJzy1YiaBwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5295.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HPqIIFrMHvA/VyzIpjh1FMI/AAAAAAAAItc/KjISJWaaVxkJ3lXRCbnR3pUt0P64Mss1gCKgB/s1600/IMG_5294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HPqIIFrMHvA/VyzIpjh1FMI/AAAAAAAAItc/KjISJWaaVxkJ3lXRCbnR3pUt0P64Mss1gCKgB/s1600/IMG_5294.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1skBsH4IxBQ/VyzIptZAIpI/AAAAAAAAItc/lYjsv_NgI_0qUhYi12W4lpMKKkS0LH84ACKgB/s1600/IMG_5293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1skBsH4IxBQ/VyzIptZAIpI/AAAAAAAAItc/lYjsv_NgI_0qUhYi12W4lpMKKkS0LH84ACKgB/s1600/IMG_5293.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ukk9Of49ueM/VyzIo2F2QlI/AAAAAAAAItc/tz_np0oFp_E8Xui3JABnPMmDbzi6rAfawCKgB/s1600/IMG_5291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ukk9Of49ueM/VyzIo2F2QlI/AAAAAAAAItc/tz_np0oFp_E8Xui3JABnPMmDbzi6rAfawCKgB/s1600/IMG_5291.jpg" /></a></div>I also really love the style mash-up of the back cover template illustration. I remember lingering over it as a kid. There's something extremely compelling about usually separate fantasy worlds colliding. It feels faintly subversive in some way, like that the boundaries of reality are permeable. If Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse can escape their worlds into a shared universe, maybe you can, too... or maybe they'll end up in yours. It's pleasingly meta. Note the individual copyright information with its complicated footnoting, labelling each character in an attempt to shore up those boundaries and wall off that sense of possibility. And imagine the legal battles that would prevent anything like this image from being mass-produced today. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bYrcUMXhQI8/VyzIpddxjWI/AAAAAAAAItc/NIfsbFfA4G8jwvWLFClyJ33WbE1JtfdhQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bYrcUMXhQI8/VyzIpddxjWI/AAAAAAAAItc/NIfsbFfA4G8jwvWLFClyJ33WbE1JtfdhQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5292.jpg" /></a></div>and here's a similar idea, but with non-copyrighted fantasy worlds. This was a book I found in a Portland antique shop. Three little pigs, meet Davy Crockett. Where the hell are they all going?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dnjb0Y_dI5U/VyzIrC42UWI/AAAAAAAAItc/BUKzTL3ph40f_UH5O5byhPZm4k0ua5APwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="437" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dnjb0Y_dI5U/VyzIrC42UWI/AAAAAAAAItc/BUKzTL3ph40f_UH5O5byhPZm4k0ua5APwCKgB/s640/IMG_5379.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Lastly, here are a few illustrations by Rudolph Freund for the Rainbow Book of Nature, from the 70s, which I found forgotten on a shelf in an unused room in a different house. I love this sort of thing, too. The artist is doing a semi-scientific observational naturalism, but he's also interested in making beautiful drawings. Old bird guides are like this as well, it's a holdover from when art and science were still not fully separate disciplines. A book like this now would likely be full of photographs, which can be done well, but where one often loses clarity in a misguided emphasis on the apparent objectivity of photography.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg590qyA4_o/VyzIqsUgDII/AAAAAAAAItc/PpKLg2mfi5Mi3Vjmv_iki9BJfsoOoe6igCKgB/s1600/IMG_5336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg590qyA4_o/VyzIqsUgDII/AAAAAAAAItc/PpKLg2mfi5Mi3Vjmv_iki9BJfsoOoe6igCKgB/s1600/IMG_5336.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FX76XQlr954/VyzIqs6HJjI/AAAAAAAAItc/NG0OUnxrrUsTQS-0ihdnTpvlXXRwWs8XACKgB/s1600/IMG_5337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FX76XQlr954/VyzIqs6HJjI/AAAAAAAAItc/NG0OUnxrrUsTQS-0ihdnTpvlXXRwWs8XACKgB/s1600/IMG_5337.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeoYi6QyCqc/VyzInqj3API/AAAAAAAAItc/Pi0zTY1o51Qg525yul2MEXzn2luuvhHggCKgB/s1600/IMG_5278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeoYi6QyCqc/VyzInqj3API/AAAAAAAAItc/Pi0zTY1o51Qg525yul2MEXzn2luuvhHggCKgB/s1600/IMG_5278.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zrn7-VcL2yg/VyzInk9ZODI/AAAAAAAAItc/Ve2aQF7OdzkUAr0u-fAj1mflLu40oWdewCKgB/s1600/IMG_5280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zrn7-VcL2yg/VyzInk9ZODI/AAAAAAAAItc/Ve2aQF7OdzkUAr0u-fAj1mflLu40oWdewCKgB/s1600/IMG_5280.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3O_Oj-mhw1o/VyzIqYLmOiI/AAAAAAAAItc/uEBJjBo5sHcw_Rv2SxxzXSIDOcHaS-YbQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3O_Oj-mhw1o/VyzIqYLmOiI/AAAAAAAAItc/uEBJjBo5sHcw_Rv2SxxzXSIDOcHaS-YbQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5334.jpg" /></a></div>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-89634023263097172862016-04-20T13:09:00.004-07:002016-04-20T13:13:35.668-07:00Comic Tragics Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WeuyR4u6oK4/VxfdRHFyfII/AAAAAAAAIq4/boMrmiOO2IY5_kEspOHKcfxFBTQSz2ePwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WeuyR4u6oK4/VxfdRHFyfII/AAAAAAAAIq4/boMrmiOO2IY5_kEspOHKcfxFBTQSz2ePwCLcB/s640/IMG_1834.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br />Just got a clutch of photos from the <a href="http://www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/exhibitions/Comic-Tragics.asp"><i>Comic Tragics</i> show at the Art Gallery of Western Australia</a> in Perth. From the looks of it they did an amazing job framing and matting everything I sent. Just one drawing alone is seven feet wide and almost five feet tall. It looks like an amazing show. The big drawing is&nbsp;<i>Adam and Eve Sneaking Back into the Garden to Steal More Apples</i>. Also shown here are a large rootball drawing,<i>&nbsp;</i>the originals from <i>Me and the Universe</i>, original art for &nbsp;posters I did for both Autoptic and the second Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival, a bunch of pages from <i>Dogs and Water</i>, <i>The End</i>, <i>Big Questions</i> and <i>Don't Go Where I Can't Follow, </i>sketchbooks with some early versions of pieces from <i>The End</i>, a one-of-a-kind accordion book, <i>Captain America Resting</i> and a drawing of a car engine. Huge thanks to Robert Cook and to everyone who mounted the show. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC6ebkiFBEQ/VxfdTcgYc-I/AAAAAAAAIrc/SmVEmGg_29wwEzPa13D1yi_v2GMGkKW5gCLcB/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC6ebkiFBEQ/VxfdTcgYc-I/AAAAAAAAIrc/SmVEmGg_29wwEzPa13D1yi_v2GMGkKW5gCLcB/s640/IMG_1878.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xwoc2ibRyU/VxfdQ3Ky6pI/AAAAAAAAIqs/vxNVm4scicAlqoUnTA86xQ5puE5yTET5gCLcB/s1600/IMG_1835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xwoc2ibRyU/VxfdQ3Ky6pI/AAAAAAAAIqs/vxNVm4scicAlqoUnTA86xQ5puE5yTET5gCLcB/s640/IMG_1835.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OFbE6fI2Xs/VxfdSD8OYsI/AAAAAAAAIrA/8Gk2PSnlobogFeR8jfWMw4qtp_iSyGKbQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OFbE6fI2Xs/VxfdSD8OYsI/AAAAAAAAIrA/8Gk2PSnlobogFeR8jfWMw4qtp_iSyGKbQCLcB/s640/IMG_1839.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QsSu35iorI/VxfdTi6EpdI/AAAAAAAAIrg/KkmdeDRTMWQf9K4aOJn6KdKwqtwiQlA6wCLcB/s1600/IMG_1879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QsSu35iorI/VxfdTi6EpdI/AAAAAAAAIrg/KkmdeDRTMWQf9K4aOJn6KdKwqtwiQlA6wCLcB/s640/IMG_1879.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rE-LRO06L64/VxfdT4shTEI/AAAAAAAAIrk/SsjUk6ddywYV2kRsLXNS5BBY25AceoO2wCLcB/s1600/IMG_1880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rE-LRO06L64/VxfdT4shTEI/AAAAAAAAIrk/SsjUk6ddywYV2kRsLXNS5BBY25AceoO2wCLcB/s640/IMG_1880.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQWQSGTIWhI/VxfdRJmlrbI/AAAAAAAAIqw/BWJfQwyMk08C3sUB-KoH0TqMGC3L0NjGwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQWQSGTIWhI/VxfdRJmlrbI/AAAAAAAAIqw/BWJfQwyMk08C3sUB-KoH0TqMGC3L0NjGwCLcB/s640/IMG_1836.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlPHENWu85k/VxfdRl_07qI/AAAAAAAAIq0/nkNuVbjzdE4vzBcHRWQ4S6b_zGR7jq0RgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlPHENWu85k/VxfdRl_07qI/AAAAAAAAIq0/nkNuVbjzdE4vzBcHRWQ4S6b_zGR7jq0RgCLcB/s640/IMG_1837.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2hwK4E1dCe8/VxfdRwC0tgI/AAAAAAAAIq8/_jAYvXkf8cUr234ZxKwI8f3-StuHpG8WwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2hwK4E1dCe8/VxfdRwC0tgI/AAAAAAAAIq8/_jAYvXkf8cUr234ZxKwI8f3-StuHpG8WwCLcB/s640/IMG_1838.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E03j11gPlOY/VxfdSXb2nsI/AAAAAAAAIrE/Htx5I5ne1C8SAhzV1Xa4F9pZQCyJ-RtFQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E03j11gPlOY/VxfdSXb2nsI/AAAAAAAAIrE/Htx5I5ne1C8SAhzV1Xa4F9pZQCyJ-RtFQCLcB/s640/IMG_1840.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sII_0vlHEY/VxfdSVGRIuI/AAAAAAAAIrI/-uFdCdFQ4NQWHZOXotJ7YRttCO6K8qmjQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sII_0vlHEY/VxfdSVGRIuI/AAAAAAAAIrI/-uFdCdFQ4NQWHZOXotJ7YRttCO6K8qmjQCLcB/s640/IMG_1841.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hzWfc6fvL2s/VxfdSl6CVlI/AAAAAAAAIrM/gcq5EHpIO1QGlbmviBork0oL77FpCrCpgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hzWfc6fvL2s/VxfdSl6CVlI/AAAAAAAAIrM/gcq5EHpIO1QGlbmviBork0oL77FpCrCpgCLcB/s640/IMG_1842.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yw1eOfqqZyE/VxfdSzZmdeI/AAAAAAAAIrQ/yNi_7BgWeSQHpB7ByLYqzqxyEwF0cZ7GQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yw1eOfqqZyE/VxfdSzZmdeI/AAAAAAAAIrQ/yNi_7BgWeSQHpB7ByLYqzqxyEwF0cZ7GQCLcB/s640/IMG_1854.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n1yDXe9Q8ug/VxfdTHG2YEI/AAAAAAAAIrU/G5q6og6HnmsMWGLY2JZRxRoeh3ZjpqvUQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n1yDXe9Q8ug/VxfdTHG2YEI/AAAAAAAAIrU/G5q6og6HnmsMWGLY2JZRxRoeh3ZjpqvUQCLcB/s640/IMG_1855.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tyblc7dWlkw/VxfdTMv8s7I/AAAAAAAAIrY/p9UttrmRHZEQE0P15dm6RHnudfQVOUiTwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tyblc7dWlkw/VxfdTMv8s7I/AAAAAAAAIrY/p9UttrmRHZEQE0P15dm6RHnudfQVOUiTwCLcB/s640/IMG_1856.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-44852991663197115452016-04-18T11:18:00.000-07:002016-04-18T11:18:05.542-07:00Comic Tragics/Emma TalbotI have a bunch of work in a show called <i>Comic Tragics </i>at the Art Gallery of Western Australia at the moment. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2016/apr/18/the-imaginative-inner-life-of-the-comic-artist-in-pictures">The Guardian</a> just did a nice little piece about it, showing a few pages by Ron Rege (who also did an amazing wall-drawing for the show), Gabrielle Bell, Dash Shaw and others, including one Emma Talbot, who I had not heard of before the invitation to the show. There are a number of reasons why I wish I could have made it out to see the show – not least because I've just never been to Australia – but I'm sorry not to be seeing <a href="http://www.emmatalbot.org.uk/index.html">Talbot's work</a> in person. It looks pretty much unlike anything else – super strange and beautiful, sweet and creepy... and heartbreaking. She does really nice things with panels, something I've been thinking about a fair amount lately, and with facelessness, which is also a thing I can relate to, especially in dealing with similar themes. Surprised I hadn't come across her work before, maybe because she's in the gallery world, rather than the book world. Hopefully that will change.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_sRRcavumw/VxUfdIwyVlI/AAAAAAAAIqU/niMwqTOlENs8ZU7zefjhNn1DZX1N8Q6IACLcB/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_sRRcavumw/VxUfdIwyVlI/AAAAAAAAIqU/niMwqTOlENs8ZU7zefjhNn1DZX1N8Q6IACLcB/s640/04.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9nWyDkAqsk/VxUfcwSsskI/AAAAAAAAIqQ/iykogvJOtwEnv_HC486KXtw2ckjmd-2WQCLcB/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9nWyDkAqsk/VxUfcwSsskI/AAAAAAAAIqQ/iykogvJOtwEnv_HC486KXtw2ckjmd-2WQCLcB/s640/10.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKIdAGZpL3c/VxUfc7uWZaI/AAAAAAAAIqM/tdHsgATFkxo2Ni62d10mSyrYUuD6AbCOQCLcB/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKIdAGZpL3c/VxUfc7uWZaI/AAAAAAAAIqM/tdHsgATFkxo2Ni62d10mSyrYUuD6AbCOQCLcB/s640/17.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-34210389509676934412016-04-06T13:40:00.000-07:002016-04-06T13:40:04.812-07:00Semi-Annual Post On Book Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8YYSig7QMM/VwVnfRt1LFI/AAAAAAAAInE/PFBOdj2pYp8D2pDRo3pK9Q0OxRew8MLeQ/s1600/IMG_4419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8YYSig7QMM/VwVnfRt1LFI/AAAAAAAAInE/PFBOdj2pYp8D2pDRo3pK9Q0OxRew8MLeQ/s640/IMG_4419.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br />I'm working on a cover right now for a collection of short stories for children and young adults that the <a href="http://www.upress.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota Press </a>is doing (in conjunction with the <a href="http://www.moi-msp.org/">Mid-continental Oceanographic Institute/MOI</a>). For that reason I just went back to look at some of the stuff I've come across over the last few months for inspiration – when I'm out in the world I generally try and keep my eyes open for interesting book covers. The images below come variously from the Miami Book Festival, a flea market in Paris, an antique market in Portland and a hotel in Astoria, Oregon... and elsewhere. Along with covers I'm also especially interested in ways designers play with a book's spine,. In my opinion it's an under-appreciated aspect of the package. If only contemporary books for adults were as playful and visually interesting as the old-school YA spines shown toward the bottom of this post.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NtottQaqBms/VwVnemLGPRI/AAAAAAAAInA/nYxq_pO-1PU5J4mJKxfTF7OyKUG6Rs_2Q/s1600/IMG_3683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NtottQaqBms/VwVnemLGPRI/AAAAAAAAInA/nYxq_pO-1PU5J4mJKxfTF7OyKUG6Rs_2Q/s1600/IMG_3683.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lemi3YQ1cJI/VwVvDXq7UEI/AAAAAAAAIoY/Ek7ofcefwvAXgEi1P0UE-67BE-f76Rt0A/s1600/IMG_3801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lemi3YQ1cJI/VwVvDXq7UEI/AAAAAAAAIoY/Ek7ofcefwvAXgEi1P0UE-67BE-f76Rt0A/s1600/IMG_3801.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbrVpZ0DDkE/VwVnfF7qC9I/AAAAAAAAInI/KafaV3E_XY4mmIprQeqc8N7sQgkOEnoQQ/s1600/IMG_4413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbrVpZ0DDkE/VwVnfF7qC9I/AAAAAAAAInI/KafaV3E_XY4mmIprQeqc8N7sQgkOEnoQQ/s1600/IMG_4413.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trxZq6MYwHs/VwVyS3TWN1I/AAAAAAAAIos/Pp4iNcykfA88GqPSb_gBOCsLl7JiNsRSA/s1600/P1070257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trxZq6MYwHs/VwVyS3TWN1I/AAAAAAAAIos/Pp4iNcykfA88GqPSb_gBOCsLl7JiNsRSA/s1600/P1070257.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RejYUKg490/VwVndawFaSI/AAAAAAAAImo/uVt5aTdj8O0loklgbjsPWqrHzH21hKdRA/s1600/IMG_3679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RejYUKg490/VwVndawFaSI/AAAAAAAAImo/uVt5aTdj8O0loklgbjsPWqrHzH21hKdRA/s1600/IMG_3679.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ursF_sLDu84/VwVneFLgLCI/AAAAAAAAIm0/9Xup14D3YBwExDX8zgbZnu4sHBxsiX58Q/s1600/IMG_3680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ursF_sLDu84/VwVneFLgLCI/AAAAAAAAIm0/9Xup14D3YBwExDX8zgbZnu4sHBxsiX58Q/s1600/IMG_3680.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U0iI-t44hqE/VwVned9we8I/AAAAAAAAIm4/oj6KUM7C6aMU6NeuXetAavBIjV4ckvSAg/s1600/IMG_3681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U0iI-t44hqE/VwVned9we8I/AAAAAAAAIm4/oj6KUM7C6aMU6NeuXetAavBIjV4ckvSAg/s1600/IMG_3681.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xnm-eAUwMLU/VwVneoKSaoI/AAAAAAAAIm8/o9TBMXCX-8c77Nj-WapmdLM-jqLo8hcvw/s1600/IMG_3682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xnm-eAUwMLU/VwVneoKSaoI/AAAAAAAAIm8/o9TBMXCX-8c77Nj-WapmdLM-jqLo8hcvw/s1600/IMG_3682.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OR7m_4rryoc/VwVnf4bifAI/AAAAAAAAInQ/Cf9UP3XrE9cIitJgNLm40jfYOnDKR-fjQ/s1600/IMG_5140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OR7m_4rryoc/VwVnf4bifAI/AAAAAAAAInQ/Cf9UP3XrE9cIitJgNLm40jfYOnDKR-fjQ/s1600/IMG_5140.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zwDkWIlX87M/VwVngN16yMI/AAAAAAAAInU/8qhAyBDN8DoTyOZJDGvjzsxoAV17AYh6Q/s1600/IMG_5161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zwDkWIlX87M/VwVngN16yMI/AAAAAAAAInU/8qhAyBDN8DoTyOZJDGvjzsxoAV17AYh6Q/s1600/IMG_5161.jpg" /></a></div>I love the silhouette images that make up the framing on these Doctor Dolittle books. These were especially fun to find because I am trying to do something vaguely similar with panelling in some comics I'm working on at the moment.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjj4dQLrCQU/VwVoMkK--TI/AAAAAAAAInY/GiNuqaQwnvkBN1HjApWLntGx5WTiLyp-A/s1600/IMG_5164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjj4dQLrCQU/VwVoMkK--TI/AAAAAAAAInY/GiNuqaQwnvkBN1HjApWLntGx5WTiLyp-A/s640/IMG_5164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The next two images are of a nice use of a die-cut. From a magazine, not a book, but whatever.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmpvGtQt4XE/VwVs2wSopRI/AAAAAAAAIoM/F3Pbb11772IjL_RQQouHvXw_QVBVVD6kQ/s1600/IMG_3797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmpvGtQt4XE/VwVs2wSopRI/AAAAAAAAIoM/F3Pbb11772IjL_RQQouHvXw_QVBVVD6kQ/s1600/IMG_3797.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MK-KnlqPjhM/VwVs2z5O7uI/AAAAAAAAIoI/rlVjSetCEYEB-PdUAVk1aI-GF80puXYKQ/s1600/IMG_3798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MK-KnlqPjhM/VwVs2z5O7uI/AAAAAAAAIoI/rlVjSetCEYEB-PdUAVk1aI-GF80puXYKQ/s1600/IMG_3798.jpg" /></a></div>And spines:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28tOYaqlktk/VwVndVZuobI/AAAAAAAAImw/5mG9u7e2_Tg1P4LbIKV90xGd8PBr5RHtg/s1600/IMG_3501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28tOYaqlktk/VwVndVZuobI/AAAAAAAAImw/5mG9u7e2_Tg1P4LbIKV90xGd8PBr5RHtg/s1600/IMG_3501.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IDSll4OZHp0/VwVndWH6mZI/AAAAAAAAIms/VdZFRyaq81kq2FZTK4EjMaTo4LEDdDqWw/s1600/IMG_3502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IDSll4OZHp0/VwVndWH6mZI/AAAAAAAAIms/VdZFRyaq81kq2FZTK4EjMaTo4LEDdDqWw/s1600/IMG_3502.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efLhOMoHMIo/VwVo60eLDiI/AAAAAAAAInk/PzuZTFvg5C0iCgPkb2d6NoS4gvztstGiQ/s1600/IMG_3804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efLhOMoHMIo/VwVo60eLDiI/AAAAAAAAInk/PzuZTFvg5C0iCgPkb2d6NoS4gvztstGiQ/s1600/IMG_3804.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ec-84CfTfA/VwVo7InYYmI/AAAAAAAAIno/5R9gU1cDbgMEi_zlsFsljMyFRqBHFL4mQ/s1600/IMG_5152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ec-84CfTfA/VwVo7InYYmI/AAAAAAAAIno/5R9gU1cDbgMEi_zlsFsljMyFRqBHFL4mQ/s1600/IMG_5152.jpg" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVuH0q1FFIE/VwVo7GXyetI/AAAAAAAAIns/cVYRtg0U8I0zV7bPfSkZ2Hlcz0iKORaBA/s1600/IMG_5153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVuH0q1FFIE/VwVo7GXyetI/AAAAAAAAIns/cVYRtg0U8I0zV7bPfSkZ2Hlcz0iKORaBA/s1600/IMG_5153.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UaS0j4AURYw/VwVo7n_xQXI/AAAAAAAAInw/oBlAkJE_pd04GYtKHqESAG4-73QWPSYRA/s1600/IMG_5163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UaS0j4AURYw/VwVo7n_xQXI/AAAAAAAAInw/oBlAkJE_pd04GYtKHqESAG4-73QWPSYRA/s1600/IMG_5163.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lk2MdexEvg/VwVo7wdZgTI/AAAAAAAAIn4/pEwsJG5_mb4YejV3GaFBUqajcG1kl6Qbw/s1600/IMG_5166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lk2MdexEvg/VwVo7wdZgTI/AAAAAAAAIn4/pEwsJG5_mb4YejV3GaFBUqajcG1kl6Qbw/s1600/IMG_5166.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7trRtzpbSEU/VwVo8JfJ6WI/AAAAAAAAIn0/2UpIblgAJT0uWJnh5d8o93j1yDxpKxy6Q/s1600/IMG_5169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7trRtzpbSEU/VwVo8JfJ6WI/AAAAAAAAIn0/2UpIblgAJT0uWJnh5d8o93j1yDxpKxy6Q/s1600/IMG_5169.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXQKHy7EgD0/VwVySokKNcI/AAAAAAAAIok/sP3r7f2FmYoSaW9m8LMQPp6mm5dFXdy5g/s1600/P1070258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXQKHy7EgD0/VwVySokKNcI/AAAAAAAAIok/sP3r7f2FmYoSaW9m8LMQPp6mm5dFXdy5g/s640/P1070258.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>(My apologies to the various illustrators and designers who's names I am generally too lazy to track down/look up. Commenters please pipe up if you know)Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-91756302419895213612016-03-19T11:08:00.003-07:002016-03-19T11:08:40.092-07:00Early Work<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Matthew Baker just started a site called <a href="http://www.earlywork.net/andersnilsen/">Early Work</a> where he's posting... well, <i>early work</i> by various artists and writers. I gave him some stuff, and tried to write something about what I was thinking about at 16. Also on the site so far are Naomi Shihab Nye and Kelly Luce. Most of the stuff I gave him was posted here a few years back after I went through my old sketchbooks for a project D+Q was doing (which ultimately didn't pan out). I should probably be embarrassed by this stuff, but I remember seeing old comics by Jeff Brown and Brian Chippendale and finding them to actually be kind of illuminating. It's fascinating to me that a person's sensibility can be seen so strongly so early. Maybe that's the case with this stuff, too, and it'll be of interest. I look forward to seeing who else he can convince to participate.&nbsp;</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFWWFg8TOak/Vu2TzYXC2hI/AAAAAAAAIl0/4lCNFdKMCWQ_sZB2IJ47T82N09LxO3zcQ/s1600/CandyWrapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFWWFg8TOak/Vu2TzYXC2hI/AAAAAAAAIl0/4lCNFdKMCWQ_sZB2IJ47T82N09LxO3zcQ/s1600/CandyWrapper.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span>Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-24409284383771552662016-03-17T15:30:00.002-07:002016-03-17T16:07:44.611-07:00"How's your next coloring book coming?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtNBiAYEYX8/VusLBWwH3pI/AAAAAAAAIlM/1iDecnFWbAwKm7cwEWoBESXVCvzZ5aL3Q/s1600/eden38-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtNBiAYEYX8/VusLBWwH3pI/AAAAAAAAIlM/1iDecnFWbAwKm7cwEWoBESXVCvzZ5aL3Q/s640/eden38-39.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />One day last May I was at TCAF in Toronto sitting at the Drawn &amp; Quarterly table signing copies of <i>Poetry is Useless</i>. Near the end of my allotted signing time the crowd had thinned and a distracted looking kid, maybe ten or eleven years old, approached and began absently turning pages in a copy of&nbsp;<i>Big Questions</i>. His mother, apparently desperate to interest her bored looking kid in something, anything at the show or in life noticed and her eyes brightened. "Ooh! It's a coloring book! You like to color! Should we get that for you?". I tried not to show it, but my soul crumpled slightly. Fortunately there's nothing like a parent's forced enthusiasm to dampen a child's interest in anything – he mumbled something inaudible, closed the book and they both wandered away.<br /><br />Before my soul could completely uncrumple, my friend Jordan, who was at the table next door and had watched the whole exchange with interest piped up, grinning "Great coloring book you got there." he said. Later, back home in Minneapolis another friend got wind of the joke. "When's your next coloring book coming out?" Lots of laughs, all around. It became a thing.<br /><br />Two months later I was at ComicCon in San Diego, signing again at the D+Q table, when Julia brought over a serious-looking, middle-aged Chinese gentleman and his interpreter, saying, among other things that he was a publisher in China, had been looking at my work and wanted to do a coloring book. My first thought was that Jordan or someone was playing a prank and I think I actually looked around. I'm sure some small mixture of annoyance and confusion probably flittered across my face, but I managed to have a short conversation with him and arranged to meet the next day for a drink to discuss the idea in more depth. But truly my initial thought was "How can I politely decline?".<br /><br />The publisher is Ginkgo (in English) and it turned out that they <a href="http://hinabook.com/">make beautiful books</a>. They've just started translating some literary graphic novels from the West (mostly France, but it looks like they are also picking up a few North American books – including&nbsp;<i>Big Questions</i> and <i>Dogs and Water</i>), and they were very fairly convincing. After turning the idea over in my head and thinking about what I might do I agreed. I'd had no idea that adult coloring books were a huge thing, and it turned out that several people I know use them, unbeknownst to me. It seemed like an interesting problem to play with, and Ginkgo was open to my ideas. The deal didn't get finalized until late January, and to get the 96 page book out in North America (<a href="https://www.drawnandquarterly.com/walk-eden">D+Q is doing it over here</a>) out in time for the holidays – done the way I want to do it – I have to basically do almost a page a day, with minimal chance for revision and none for preciousness. As I write this I'm just over half done, and am rather enjoying it. It's more drawing than I've ever done in a short period of time, but it's a genuinely interesting problem to work that fast, and has me pouring over books of plants and animals, visiting museums and conservatories for inspiration and looking at the world a little differently. I'll be posting pictures as I go for the next few weeks at FB and Instagram, and maybe a few more here as well, depending. Here's the cover and one more image:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ8_8GeGLdk/VusLBpjQjGI/AAAAAAAAIlQ/TXdOfKqKyDIPfl9ZPx5uj88G2v5JNoJiA/s1600/awalkinEdenCOVERfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ8_8GeGLdk/VusLBpjQjGI/AAAAAAAAIlQ/TXdOfKqKyDIPfl9ZPx5uj88G2v5JNoJiA/s640/awalkinEdenCOVERfront.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H9BLFw7jfc/VusLAnh8ZNI/AAAAAAAAIlI/o83tXC2z3IoyDgb00DeqGpSQdzz0_fGzA/s1600/eden34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H9BLFw7jfc/VusLAnh8ZNI/AAAAAAAAIlI/o83tXC2z3IoyDgb00DeqGpSQdzz0_fGzA/s640/eden34.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>The book is basically what it's title implies. I've done a bunch of drawings set in the Garden of Eden in the last few years, including the title/cover of <a href="http://themonologuist.blogspot.com/search?q=god+and+the+devil+at+war+in+the+garden">God and the Devil at War in the Garden</a>, and <a href="http://themonologuist.blogspot.com/search?q=adam+and+eve">Adam and Eve Sneak Back into the Garden to Steal More Apples</a>. The coloring book will basically be that version of Eden, populated with both real, fantastical – and long extinct animals, plants, and fungi, as well as various objects of human manufacture that might feel out of place. In a way I am picturing Adam and Eve's return in some imagined future after humans have disappeared&nbsp;and maybe even God has abandoned the place.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_tj6VrTHog/Vus4i_zY7vI/AAAAAAAAIlg/I75lA0HJxGwUVYGPMVQn6ZL1CbrM9wNPg/s1600/IMG_5196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_tj6VrTHog/Vus4i_zY7vI/AAAAAAAAIlg/I75lA0HJxGwUVYGPMVQn6ZL1CbrM9wNPg/s400/IMG_5196.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1GGoWpUiB0/Vus4jI8xkVI/AAAAAAAAIlk/QQPfTnTJwYAH-sx_NtgHHN-0If3UHZoWw/s1600/IMG_5198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1GGoWpUiB0/Vus4jI8xkVI/AAAAAAAAIlk/QQPfTnTJwYAH-sx_NtgHHN-0If3UHZoWw/s400/IMG_5198.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-72809068531868479222016-03-12T11:17:00.000-08:002016-03-12T11:39:08.894-08:00•oo∆∆∆oo•<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6s1JRj7dBXg/VuRwLrKoRwI/AAAAAAAAIkk/dsUS_tGFCqc1E2RG6ILqWGrVmQodIu1rQ/s1600/xRBxxxii26%2528actuallyevilPharmacia%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6s1JRj7dBXg/VuRwLrKoRwI/AAAAAAAAIkk/dsUS_tGFCqc1E2RG6ILqWGrVmQodIu1rQ/s640/xRBxxxii26%2528actuallyevilPharmacia%2529.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOcFwM4q2BI/VuRpy_LexnI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/Uv43cKf52q4rl7byk-C3_-8CbZaskW6FQ/s1600/xRBxxxii27%2528Iwantadivorce%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOcFwM4q2BI/VuRpy_LexnI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/Uv43cKf52q4rl7byk-C3_-8CbZaskW6FQ/s640/xRBxxxii27%2528Iwantadivorce%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Njx8y4LKF24/VuRpzFx7eiI/AAAAAAAAIkU/u71V7fSZxx8dkiu09OMJXP5q8hyKCNNnQ/s1600/xRBxxxii29%2528Palermo%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Njx8y4LKF24/VuRpzFx7eiI/AAAAAAAAIkU/u71V7fSZxx8dkiu09OMJXP5q8hyKCNNnQ/s640/xRBxxxii29%2528Palermo%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-80527162552133791862016-03-10T12:45:00.003-08:002016-03-10T12:45:29.796-08:00Bell/Nilsen Wurld Toor Sketchtown Collab Striptasticism, France Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDTcZL-a9w/VuHWW3IPf9I/AAAAAAAAIjc/Cm9ucVZpxIQ/s1600/xRBxxxii23%2528WorldTour%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDTcZL-a9w/VuHWW3IPf9I/AAAAAAAAIjc/Cm9ucVZpxIQ/s640/xRBxxxii23%2528WorldTour%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6rS5KoEuXn4/VuHWWpkx_YI/AAAAAAAAIjY/QviqsxwwkD4/s1600/xRBxxxii24%2528WorldTour2%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6rS5KoEuXn4/VuHWWpkx_YI/AAAAAAAAIjY/QviqsxwwkD4/s640/xRBxxxii24%2528WorldTour2%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oElrhYiwcE8/VuHblSQr0-I/AAAAAAAAIj8/OqwYfFDFlmM/s1600/xRBxxxii25%2528WorldTour2%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oElrhYiwcE8/VuHblSQr0-I/AAAAAAAAIj8/OqwYfFDFlmM/s640/xRBxxxii25%2528WorldTour2%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-9343298331662135952016-02-28T16:52:00.002-08:002016-02-28T16:52:34.638-08:00••ºº[x]ºº••<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aRNbR55clpE/VtOVA7t5ioI/AAAAAAAAIi0/ke_V2nrxbQw/s1600/xRBxxxii20%2528KillingswirthQu%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aRNbR55clpE/VtOVA7t5ioI/AAAAAAAAIi0/ke_V2nrxbQw/s640/xRBxxxii20%2528KillingswirthQu%2Bcopy.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fSAJHAjMrh4/VtOVATJqxlI/AAAAAAAAIis/_0M4ey3re3A/s1600/xRBxxxii16%2528poetry%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="369" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fSAJHAjMrh4/VtOVATJqxlI/AAAAAAAAIis/_0M4ey3re3A/s640/xRBxxxii16%2528poetry%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MkoJppCmC4/VtOU_xQigiI/AAAAAAAAIio/Lk1syg1se4s/s1600/xRBxxxii02%2528girlinParis%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MkoJppCmC4/VtOU_xQigiI/AAAAAAAAIio/Lk1syg1se4s/s640/xRBxxxii02%2528girlinParis%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HUkzUI2gfY/VtOVAXQx0cI/AAAAAAAAIiw/Pkb1U9_JKeA/s1600/xRBxxxii14%2528legs%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HUkzUI2gfY/VtOVAXQx0cI/AAAAAAAAIiw/Pkb1U9_JKeA/s640/xRBxxxii14%2528legs%2529.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-26369564556369782612016-02-24T21:42:00.001-08:002016-02-24T21:42:50.277-08:00•••()•••<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cv1PePsYQac/Vs6TSlPRRzI/AAAAAAAAIiE/9FcKz1hfcVo/s1600/xRBxxxii03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cv1PePsYQac/Vs6TSlPRRzI/AAAAAAAAIiE/9FcKz1hfcVo/s640/xRBxxxii03.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iUufhyekFIM/Vs6TS_RrEmI/AAAAAAAAIiM/yAOTpYRKQ6c/s1600/xRBxxxii01%2528Kevin%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iUufhyekFIM/Vs6TS_RrEmI/AAAAAAAAIiM/yAOTpYRKQ6c/s640/xRBxxxii01%2528Kevin%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--W1Pmt30GGc/Vs6TUJd1BiI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/DYmOfc1OQtw/s1600/xRBxxxii05%2528charlieBrown%2529TWWO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--W1Pmt30GGc/Vs6TUJd1BiI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/DYmOfc1OQtw/s640/xRBxxxii05%2528charlieBrown%2529TWWO.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6B-h3I54NAE/Vs6TS6UUAzI/AAAAAAAAIiI/HZddabTIvKY/s1600/xRBxxxii05%2528charlieBrown%2529TWO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6B-h3I54NAE/Vs6TS6UUAzI/AAAAAAAAIiI/HZddabTIvKY/s640/xRBxxxii05%2528charlieBrown%2529TWO.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cR0f230mqa8/Vs6TUfB00WI/AAAAAAAAIiU/2P1SY9MRsDA/s1600/xRBxxxii15%2528threeleggedduck%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cR0f230mqa8/Vs6TUfB00WI/AAAAAAAAIiU/2P1SY9MRsDA/s640/xRBxxxii15%2528threeleggedduck%2529.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-37325167380834631752016-02-17T12:47:00.001-08:002016-02-17T13:37:39.696-08:00Something about Alvin<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypalqirLjYg/VsTWhQM2ijI/AAAAAAAAIgI/rlXWL2xxW_8/s1600/IMG_5092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypalqirLjYg/VsTWhQM2ijI/AAAAAAAAIgI/rlXWL2xxW_8/s1600/IMG_5092.jpg" /></a></div><span style="text-align: center;">This print is one of my prize possessions and has hung in my house since at least 2007. Printed by Alvin, art by Souther Salazar. It's one of many beautiful things</span><span style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;that would not exist in this world if not for Alvin.</span><br /><br />I first met Alvin Buenaventura at APE in San Francisco in maybe 2003 or 4. I remember there being some buzz about this guy who was making letterpress prints of some of my friends' work, but also with some famous people like Dan Clowes and Chris Ware. It felt very mysterious and cool. At some point I went over to his table and found an extremely quiet, humble guy who spoke almost in a whisper, and a very gregarious and friendly woman, all smiles – his wife at the time, Carleen. They acted as if we had all been friends for years. Of course in my heart I desperately wanted to be included in his project, but was able to act like a normal person and just begin to get to know them a bit instead. They were both friendly, unassuming and welcoming.<br /><br />When he did eventually invite me to do a print it was one of a very few moments in my life that felt like I'd been included in some elite secret club. That feeling had nothing to do with any promise of money – there basically wasn't any – or of notoriety. It was because it was very clear that this person had extremely good, very particular taste – much better and more broad than mine, for example – and his vision of what was worth his time now included something of mine. His remarkable taste and enthusiasm for art was a theme for me in hanging out with Alvin, in a couple of ways. I was repeatedly struck by the clarity of his vision. I remember him showing me some Le Dernier Cri books at his house in Oakland once, and being struck by how sure he was of his opinions and enthusiasms about it. I was busily trying to sort out being overwhelmed visually, slightly grossed out, fascinated, jealous, and wanting to seem cool and like the right things. Encounters with other artist's work often feel compromised this way, it can occasionally be difficult to set aside my own biases, jealousies and artistic concerns and see another's work on its own terms. Alvin was one of those rare people whose taste felt immediate, singularly uncomplicated and clear. It was at once rigorous and generous. It was inspiring to me, and a challenge. It made him a very good publisher, but it also meant going to his house was like entering a little museum crossed with an incredibly well curated yard sale, full of treasures. It also meant that going to his table at a show promised a lot of new and very compelling work. I always spent too much money at his tables, and always wished I could spend a bit more. If all he'd done for me was introduce me to the work of Helge Reumann, and Lisa Hanawalt I'd owe him a debt. <br /><br />Alvin and I worked on a few projects of various kinds, several of them better as ideas than they turned out to be as realities. He put out a skateboard of mine, of all things, and sold precious few – though he did actually try valiantly to learn to ride it, taking me to a couple of spots in Oakland to skate when I was in town. His enthusiasm for publishing seemed rarely to be inhibited by commercial concerns. He wanted a thing to exist and so he would do what he could to make it so, the market be damned. Which was part of why what he did was so important, but I know that came back to be troublesome in some ways, as it will. We had been discussing doing a small book project this year, one that probably would fit very comfortably in the slot of not-commercially-viable. But it was a unique project that would make sense for probably no other publisher. As Dan Clowes wrote yesterday, that's what he was: completely unique. There was a slot in the universe that he fit in, alone. That slot is now empty, and it matters a great deal. We are poorer for it. <br /><br />Apart from what he was for comics and art, he was also just an incredibly sweet guy, at least to me. He always made me feel welcome, and wanted to help if he could. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yn_x_TC11Z4/VsTn6V2TowI/AAAAAAAAIgo/Y6SnCT9pv7M/s1600/hercules310px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yn_x_TC11Z4/VsTn6V2TowI/AAAAAAAAIgo/Y6SnCT9pv7M/s1600/hercules310px.jpg" /></a></div><br />Early last year Alvin and I got back in touch after a silence of a couple of years. Among other things he inquired about a drawing I'd done back in 2007, <i>Hercules Ascending to Mount Olympus</i>. The drawing was no longer in my possession, but I told him I'd thought of doing prints of it and would send him one, which I did, along with the rest of the edition to sell on his site. He came back to me later and asked if I would consider doing a larger version as a commission, suggesting a few additions that might make the image even more specifically personal to him and his life if, and only if, I didn't feel they would compromise the piece for me – which I didn't, such collaborations usually make a project more interesting and the idea was exciting: doing just such a near-monumental version had long been on my mind, but was impossible without a venue to show or a patron of some sort. I immediately went out and got a 10 foot tall piece of paper and waited to hear from him for a deposit and confirmation to begin. We talked a few more times in the months that followed, mostly about other things. He assured me a few times that he was still interested, just waiting for this or that project to come through to clear his slate. But then he seemed to fall out of touch, and confirmation never came. In some way this piece will always feel in some way like it belongs to him. The last few days have been heavy ones. His loss is heartbreaking.<br /><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-43933208974759346472016-02-15T08:09:00.002-08:002016-02-15T08:29:31.508-08:00GPS and the BrainI had a pretty substantial illustration in the Sunday Review section of the Times yesterday, dealing with a fascinating little piece on<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/opinion/sunday/ignore-the-gps-that-ocean-is-not-a-road.html?partner=rss&amp;emc=rss&amp;_r=0"> GPS and the brain</a>, which is definitely worth a read. Really nice to have this particular strain of my work showcased this way. Many thanks to Alexandra Zsigmond. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDGnPJikbCU/VsH3KjTFnfI/AAAAAAAAIfc/dx5Aq_VhXgA/s1600/GPS03sample02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDGnPJikbCU/VsH3KjTFnfI/AAAAAAAAIfc/dx5Aq_VhXgA/s640/GPS03sample02.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>The piece went through a bunch of profound transformations before getting to the above at the last minute. Here was one sketch I liked. Too on-the-nose, certainly, but I've been playing with markers lately and had fun with this.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rOZ16tyq-sI/VsH8Q5bBGQI/AAAAAAAAIfw/UmAlPqLvyww/s1600/GPS04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rOZ16tyq-sI/VsH8Q5bBGQI/AAAAAAAAIfw/UmAlPqLvyww/s640/GPS04.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>:Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-71564563369569005892016-02-11T08:23:00.002-08:002016-02-11T08:23:29.463-08:00Drawings of Daniel ClowesDid some illustrations for <a href="https://story.californiasunday.com/daniel-clowes-patience">a piece on Daniel Clowes for California Sunday</a> recently, which just came out. Here are my contributions and a couple of proposals for strips playing with the theme of his complicated relationship with the comics mainstream, including what he says was the great motivating force of the 'chip on his shoulder' about not being accepted into it (I know, I know). The full piece, with contributions from Seth, Rutu Modan and Richard Sala is<a href="https://story.californiasunday.com/daniel-clowes-patience"> here</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bS6E81fyHkU/Vrywn2Qzw4I/AAAAAAAAIeM/MB3vpijhkoo/s1600/DanClowesIllo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bS6E81fyHkU/Vrywn2Qzw4I/AAAAAAAAIeM/MB3vpijhkoo/s640/DanClowesIllo01.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0zey2tZ5sA/VrywqSCKvRI/AAAAAAAAIeQ/s4jW18aR8EM/s1600/Clowesface.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0zey2tZ5sA/VrywqSCKvRI/AAAAAAAAIeQ/s4jW18aR8EM/s640/Clowesface.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IUJpwCeFwS0/VryyjXARtII/AAAAAAAAIeg/MOs8fH1yaXc/s1600/ClowesStrip01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IUJpwCeFwS0/VryyjXARtII/AAAAAAAAIeg/MOs8fH1yaXc/s640/ClowesStrip01.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBZaW922YKU/VryyjA8UcyI/AAAAAAAAIec/tcypzi8T4ZI/s1600/ClowesStrip02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBZaW922YKU/VryyjA8UcyI/AAAAAAAAIec/tcypzi8T4ZI/s640/ClowesStrip02.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-49609462054113481222016-01-26T07:31:00.002-08:002016-01-26T07:31:35.882-08:00(((••••••)))<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5F2KMYxBzFw/VqePyQOVS9I/AAAAAAAAIdE/ilTeyZaGe3Y/s1600/IMG_4325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5F2KMYxBzFw/VqePyQOVS9I/AAAAAAAAIdE/ilTeyZaGe3Y/s640/IMG_4325.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--CHI9I761TQ/VqePyUA9L2I/AAAAAAAAIdA/EpazvU5pzZg/s1600/IMG_4326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--CHI9I761TQ/VqePyUA9L2I/AAAAAAAAIdA/EpazvU5pzZg/s640/IMG_4326.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PiqsExO4X9U/VqeRA9Ql-EI/AAAAAAAAIdU/NIiTqTcLdj4/s1600/IMG_4327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PiqsExO4X9U/VqeRA9Ql-EI/AAAAAAAAIdU/NIiTqTcLdj4/s640/IMG_4327.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-19861742028465966162016-01-26T06:43:00.000-08:002016-01-26T06:43:50.991-08:00Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2CNX_uItaY/VqeCqlzl5yI/AAAAAAAAIcg/_O5d0GtAeZk/s1600/test72.png.pagespeed.ce.5ZzIJpS88-.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2CNX_uItaY/VqeCqlzl5yI/AAAAAAAAIcg/_O5d0GtAeZk/s640/test72.png.pagespeed.ce.5ZzIJpS88-.png" width="580" /></a></div><br />Arrived in Paris yesterday morning for tonight's opening of the D&amp;Q exhibition at Galerie Martel, and signings tomorrow and Thursday. And <a href="http://www.realestateofthemind.fr/2016/01/26/anders-nilsen-interview/">an interview</a>&nbsp;was posted this afternoon in French on Real Estate of the Mind, just in time for the festivities.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--7hmnkFWktk/VqeFjwa8iLI/AAAAAAAAIcs/CcZjWYoNZ60/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--7hmnkFWktk/VqeFjwa8iLI/AAAAAAAAIcs/CcZjWYoNZ60/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790966963869138286.post-61596541488696493122016-01-20T10:15:00.000-08:002016-01-20T10:15:03.433-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UJCdKQPUHm0/Vp_Igk2cgoI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/LVrgGaUsCCQ/s1600/39_p0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UJCdKQPUHm0/Vp_Igk2cgoI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/LVrgGaUsCCQ/s400/39_p0.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />I'm boarding a plane to France later today. I'm going mainly to support <i>Fin</i>, the French edition of <i>The End</i>. But there's a ton of other stuff going on while I'm there. I'll be in Besançon January 22-24 for the <a href="http://www.pierrefeuilleciseaux.com/?p=7020&amp;lang=en">PFC5 exhibition</a>&nbsp;The Goat Without a Face and a few talks. Helping run PFC5 last summer in Minneapolis was a whirlwind, so I'm looking forward to getting to relax and get a new look, with clearer eyes, at some of the weird and wonderful collaborative drawings and comics that came out of that storm.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IVWpPnbZZgA/Vp_JNg4NNyI/AAAAAAAAIbg/U4qOWPJKKFo/s1600/AntoineCharles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IVWpPnbZZgA/Vp_JNg4NNyI/AAAAAAAAIbg/U4qOWPJKKFo/s1600/AntoineCharles.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0_oUTxeYM4/Vp_JeJ34tjI/AAAAAAAAIbw/m-_F5y1nj3c/s1600/LCSV-visuel-05-OK-APLATI-A4-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0_oUTxeYM4/Vp_JeJ34tjI/AAAAAAAAIbw/m-_F5y1nj3c/s640/LCSV-visuel-05-OK-APLATI-A4-WEB.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />Then, next Tuesday I'm in Paris for the Drawn &amp; Quarterly 25th Anniversary exhibition at <a href="http://www.galeriemartel.com/">Galerie Martel</a>. It's the first time <i>Big Questions</i> originals will be shown in France, and I'm sending a few examples I don't normally let out of my flatfiles. Other reasons to go, if you're in Paris include original art by Julie Doucet, Lynda Barry, Genevieve Castree and a bunch of other ridiculously talented people.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pvh2L4B_2t0/Vp_NO8NR3HI/AAAAAAAAIcE/hbojH6uGyTo/s1600/IMG_2406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pvh2L4B_2t0/Vp_NO8NR3HI/AAAAAAAAIcE/hbojH6uGyTo/s640/IMG_2406.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Wednesday and Thursday I'm signing copies of <i>Fin</i> at Super Heros and Page 198, respectively, and then heading to Angouleme on Friday for a public talk with&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Jean-Pierre Mercier.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Busy couple of weeks.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2x6dlRdp53k/Vp_JyOiUwcI/AAAAAAAAIb4/09uMbQGY5Vw/s1600/IMG_2967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2x6dlRdp53k/Vp_JyOiUwcI/AAAAAAAAIb4/09uMbQGY5Vw/s1600/IMG_2967.jpg" /></a></div><br />Anders Brekhus Nilsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15565888037054277178noreply@blogger.com1